University of Wales, Bangor reviews

University of Wales, Bangor review

Firstly choose somewhere where you are going to have fun remember you are going to be there for at least three years, it seems like such a short time but if you don't like the place you aren't going to enjoy uni. Secondly, choose a uni that suits you...check out the uni are the tutors friendly, if there not don't go these are the people that you should be able to turn to when you need help the most. Bangor is a stunning place to live, especially if you are in to the outdoor life (or want to be), but be warned if you are big into the clubbing sceen forget it! It is one of the friendliest places i have ever been both the town, students and tutors. The Sports sciences department is excellent and has some of the top researchers in the UK. The uni is a bit spread out however so if you choose Bangor prepare to get fit!

University of Wales, Bangor review

Bangor is a great Uni that is spread throughout the city. Most parts are within easy walking distance of each other, although a couple of departments and one of the halls are further out. Each department has an assosciated library, computer facillities and a common room. The staff and other students are friendly and happy to help out. The city itself although small has plenty of ammenities and shops, but Chester is much better for serious shopping and can be reached easily by train.
Halls are varied depending on how old they are, some of the older halls are better as they have bigger rooms and are less cramped. First years are garanteed a place and it is not unusual for 2nd and 3rd years to be able to stay in halls if they want to. All the rooms are single rooms, some have datapoints and showers whilst others have shared facillities. The main site has computer rooms for the the whole site, whilst the other halls have a few computers in the hall itself.
The course is fun, although it is hard work and can get busy near the end of the terms. Outside of lectures there are Practicals to do and write up and tutorials to go through questions in smaller groups.
The exams are not too long, shorter than some of the A-level ones.
The night life is nothing special in Bangor there are a couple of clubs, and plenty of bars ranging from locals pubs to very much student pubs that sometimes can be semi nightclubs in thier own right. Generally a night out is not too expensive, although the Union bar can be more expensive than elsewhere in. A pint varies in price it can be as little as £1 in some places but is more usually around £1.70.
There are many clubs, both sport and otherwise. Most sports are catered to, and many are more sedate ranging from Drama to Beer drinking.
The countryside is spectacular, with Snowden being only a short bus ride away and the sea right next door as well. This does give Bangor it's only drawback: the number of hills. Be prepared to get fit. All in all though it is a brilliant place to study.

University of Wales, Bangor review

Bangor is a small city with everything any student will ever need. Everything is within 15 minutes walking distance so you don't need a car, and you don't even need to use public transport. The university buildings are spread out through the city, so it is not separate like a campus university, it is part of the community. If you visit Bangor, as you come into the city you will see a massive building on the hill side, this is not the cathedral but the main arts building of the university, where exams take place and concerts and the summer ball, and I heard a rumour that lectures happen there too!

Starting off in my first year on a biology degree I was able to change to Molecular Biology as the courses withing Biological sciences deparment are quite flexible. The courses are mainly theory based but also practical based so you get to work in labs carrying out experiments and also do field trips.

Bangor being in the North of Wales near to snowdonia, and near the sea makes it fantastic for anyone who enjoys the out doors. There is everything from walking to mountain climbing to cannoing to sailing, and there is also a sports center if you want to go to the gym, or play tennis or badminton, or do aerobics. There's teams for everything including octopush (underwater hockey.)

If you like going out on the town there are pubs galor, and it's possible to find a pub with a pound a pint offer on each night of the week, and there's the usual theme nights and quizes. The student union has a few different bars in and a night club, where you go depends on your music taste, everything from rock and heavy metal to chart music. There is also salsa/latino nights, and 60's, 70's and 80's night is free entry every monday night.

If you need a breath of fresh air Roman camp is the place to go where you can sit and look out over the meani straights. Or if your feeling down the pier is the best place to go, if it could talk it would have a lot of stories to tell.

University of Wales, Bangor review

Well, Bangor uni, its the kind of place you will love if you are interested in the outdoors, with Snowdonia being virtually on the doorstep and the surrounding coast means watersports galore hurrah!
Bangor itself had most of the shops youll need, i think, some of that smaller clthes shope are good and charity shops galore.
Being a climber I spend a lot of time in the mountains and there of lots of little places to find in the mountains if you just want to get away.
The nightlife, hmmmmm the pubs are great, there are lots of them, my favorites being the Yellow pub, the Belle Veiw, Paddys and the Greek mainly cos you can get vodka for 50p a shot in Paddys a great place to start the night:)
The clubs, well you don't have that much choice the 2 main ones are Time which is good on Monday night, cheesy pop, and the Octagon, never been so can't pass judgement.
My favorite is the Uni owned Main Bar its small but its good the best night being Rachuba, a reggae salsa night.
The thing about Bangor is that its maximim 15 mins walk to anywhere and the uni isn't that big so you get to know people more esily I think, and you are certainly likely to meet a regrettable pull again(oops). The uni has a peer guide system to help first years settle in which is good if your peer tells you anything useful, mine didn't really, I walked the long way to the biology building (which is ugly, but has an aquarium) for two days until someone showed me the Brambell shortcut, damn.
The uni halls are okay,mainly on the Ffridoedd site( the biggest problem being how to pronounce it its,Ffrthioth) I live in Llys Tryfan, its the cheapest halls along with Emrys Evans, my hall is alright nothing special it looks a bit shabby tho, there are two blocks F and D with three floors on each each floor is 2 sperate corridors one with seven in one kitchen and the other with ten, for some reason the ten kitchen is smaller, cosy is a word you could use. We recently had internal door locks put on so you have to remeber lots of codes. Because you live so close together you get to know your corridor quickly.
Emrys Evans is (I think) better because the floors are built on a square with the kitchen and bathrooms in the middle, but no sinks in the rooms. The cheaper halls are okay if you don't mind sharing( 17 people to one shower in Llys Tryfan but its not that bad, i don't smell).
The new halls tend to be less sociable beacuse you only all meet in the kichen and the corridors tend to be more segragated, so i think the cheaper halls are best. If I were you i wouldn't bother with ctaered becase all they do is put a certain anount of money on your uni card(which all students get) to spend in the Ceris diner. You can put money on even if you arnt catered and eat there if you want but i can't say im tempted. You also have to move out of catered every holiday which would be a pain, I have enough problems and I dont have to move out!
The Science libry is good and there are lots of small computer rooms hidden away so once youve found them you don't have to wait for a computer in the small Ffridd comp room. Main Arts building is the old uni building (perfect place for a slasher movie) very easy to get lost in I still do and ive been there for nearly a year. If you are a climber there is also some buildering potential on the lower wall:)
The uni sports centre is good, lots of clubs use it and the climbing wall is small but there are lots of problems to be done, when I first went there seemed to be lots of really good lads it was a bit daunting there but now I know most of them(they are still good), its a good place to meet people if you are interested in climbing.
There are societys for most things , serendipity tells you all about them but doind get conned into joining a society you arn't going to go to. Im in too many but i like to keep busy, the climbing club is great with regualr trips out and a weekly trip to the climbing wall followed by the pub, the coneing club is the biggest in the uni and is good fun lots of trips and getting drunk in the BV, SODA musical society is fab if you are in to dancing acting and singing, im on the committee for that one. I also help with a girl guie group in Menai bridge and am a tech in Time. So lots to do if you want to.
Now the men, all I can say is there are lots of surfers, climbers , kayakers, windsurfers, rugby players e.t.c mmmmmmmmmm.
Fashion seems to have completey missed the uni people seem to wear whatever they like, quite a few goths and the hippy look especially if you are in SAFFS (agriculture and forestry).
I was told it rained a lot but theis year has obviously been kind cos its been fairly nice.
My course is good lots of hours per week because in biology but not stupid amounts of work, exams are mainly multiple choice but this doen't mean they are that easy, they are negativly markrd so you could theoretically get minus marks.
Houses, if you get sorted early enough finding a house isn't really that hard my house was sorted in January so id aim to sort it then the best road is collage road, because its close to most places, the rent is £174 a month and the house has 8 bedrooms.
One last thing about Bangor is Glenrafon Hill its the main hill in Bangor and you HAVE to walk up it its long and steep, especially on your way back from Main Bar or Time, just think its good for your bum all the walking:)
I think thats most things ill have missed stuff but hope it helps.
I think Bangor is great and there is nowhere else id rather be:)